


Intrusive

by Camellianswer



Category: Rockman | Mega Man Classic
Genre: Android, Angst, Flashbacks, Gen, Oops, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Robot, Robot Masters - Freeform, basically just making my robot boy sad, i forgot how to use tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24355156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Camellianswer/pseuds/Camellianswer
Summary: After all of his traumatic battles, Rock has trouble helping Dr. Light build robot masters.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	Intrusive

**Author's Note:**

> everlasting peace......?

_**CR---CRASH!!** _

  
Roll’s work in the living room was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of small parts spilling over as desk in a massive wave and skittering across the floor. Wielding a broom and dustpan like a small domestic warrior, Roll headed into the lab where Rock and her father were working.

  
Rock was crouched on the ground, helping gather spilled parts up. “Sorry! My hand slipped, I guess,” he explained nervously. Dr. Light waved it away. “That’s alright, my boy. Here, just pass me that piece…”

  
Roll was the one who picked it up and gave it to Dr. Light. “There. This isn’t as big a mess as I thought it would be,” she added, surveying the floor. “But I still need to clean up in here. It’s so dusty!”

  
“Not just now, Roll,” Dr. Light said, as he’d been saying all week. “Some other time. We’re very close to finishing a crucial component.”

  
The housekeeping robot glanced at the table where they had been working. Production of the new robot master was coming along well, but her face showed dissatisfaction at the cobwebs and dust accumulation around the edges of the workspace. She sighed and gave in. “Alright. Some other time. Preferably TONIGHT. And I’ll be back soon with lunch for you. You do need to eat SOMETIME. Rock, do you want an E…tank?” her voice trailed off as she noticed her brother. “Rock? What’s the matter?”

  
Rock’s hands were clenched at his sides, and he trembled visibly. His gaze was fixed on the construction table. Looking like he'd seen a ghost. He had to make a great effort to speak.“I…I’m fine, Roll. Just…” he closed his eyes momentarily as if trying to push an unwelcome thought away. “Just a bit tired, I guess.”

  
Dr. Light took off his precision goggles and looked at Rock with concern. “Are you sure, Rock? You don’t sound very well.”

  
Rock took a deep breath and then let it out. Cool the system down. His body relaxed somewhat, and he smiled. “I’m okay, dad. Just tired. An E-Tank would get me right up to speed again.”  
Roll had already left for the E-Tank and returned almost as Rock said it. Not only did she have an E-Tank, she’d brought a sandwich and a drink – milk, NOT that awful coffee she wanted him to stop drinking – for Dr. Light. “Both of you need a break. Here you go.”

* * *

After the short break, Rock and Dr. Light got back to work, and Roll left to finish dusting the living room. Silence fell in the spacious lab again as father and son worked in perfect unison, anticipating each others’ needs and movements with uncanny accuracy.

  
“Hm…I’m missing that one.” Dr. Light stood back from the robot master and surveyed the table. “Rock, have you seen the transponder I need?”

  
“That’s an older model one, right? The newer types don’t work as well.” Rock lifted a stack of papers and found something, but not what they needed. “Here’s….no, this one’s too new.”  
“Yes. I think it must be in one of those bins.” Light gestured absently to the far wall, his eye drawn back to the complicated inner workings of the new robot. “Go and find it for me, please.”  
Rock rummaged through the big bin that he remembered having parts similar to the transponder they needed. These bins were totally random, cast-off bits and bolts from older projects that Dr. Light knew he could salvage. He sifted through the layers of parts, scanning them quickly. No, it wasn’t here after all, but…the pile of parts felt familiar, somehow. Suddenly, horribly familiar.  
He tried to push that feeling down, but the cold slowly paralyzed him and his vision receded, leaving only those parts at the end of a dark tunnel. The painful memories consumed him, trapped him, dragged him down.

  
“Rock? Did you find it?” Dr. Light’s voice beside him, but it was indistinct and faraway.

  
Rock hunched over under the weight in his chest, trembling as the memory swept him away, leaving him stuck in that horrible moment in the past. “I had to take him down. I’m sorry, Dr. Light…I killed him…”

  
“What?!” Dr. Light didn’t understand. He put a hand on Rock’s shoulder, looking at him with worry. “Rock? Are you alright?”

  
The young lab assistant turned unseeing, tear-filled eyes up to his father and said “I had to…there’s just parts left…a sea of broken pieces, and I did it…was this necessary? I had to do it, but…”  
“Rock!” Light shook the robot a little, and Rock came to his senses. He blinked, seeming unaware of where he was. “Oh…Dr. Light! Sorry…I…I don’t know what ha…happened.”  
"Hmm..." Dr. Light frowned, forehead deeply creased with worry. He put a hand on his son's head, gauging his temperature. "You're slightly overheated....did you download anything odd lately? Something's putting your system in overdrive."

  
"N-not that I remember, no. Yeah....I'm pretty sure I didn't," Rock said slowly.

  
"Let's get you a quick scan just in case." Dr. Light stood, helping Rock to his feet.

One scan later yielded no sign of malware. Perhaps it was simply the effect of overwork? Yet now, Rock was back to normal, insisting that he could continue helping Dr. Light. 

  
"I'm fine now, really!"  
"...Are you sure, son? You don't have to push yourself."

  
"Really, Dr. Light." This would not be a problem. He would not LET it be a problem.

  
And Dr. Light reluctantly took him at his word.

* * *

It started again soon after they went back to their task.

_Kill him._

  
Thoughts came out of nowhere, shooting through his head and lodging there like deadly blades.

  
_Kill him, kill him, kill him_

  
_KILL HIM BEFORE HE KILLS YOU_

  
Gritting his teeth, fighting panic as images sprang forward, unbidden, threatening to overcome him.

  
_BEFORE HE KILLS ROLL_

  
_KILLS LIGHT_

  
_KILL HIM_

  
"Rock?" Blurred, thrumming voice, almost unfamiliar, barely cutting through the noise in his head. "Rock, are you alright?"

  
“I…just…” Panting, almost hyperventilating, he leaned forward, resting his head on his fists, fighting against this sudden nightmare. “…just…need…a quick…break…”

  
Through the haze, as if his body was far away, he heard Dr. Light put his equipment down and round the table. He took the small robot by the shoulders and gently led him out of the room.

  
Work was over for the day.

* * *

  
Production was halted for two weeks and three days. They had family outings, played with Rush, visited the other robot masters across the city, Rock played chess over video call with Kalinka while Roll tried to teach Dr. Light how to make croissants. 

  
Normal life. Distractions. Sweet, nostalgic distractions.

  
And after that, work went on as usual.

* * *

As Rock worked on the robot master, he had to struggle to keep his hands steady. His eyes burned, but he fought against the horrible memories. He wouldn’t go under. Wouldn't give in to the irrational panic. Not another time.

  
But still…

  
As he helped Dr. Light create this new robot master…another one…yet another…he couldn’t feel happy. Other times, he was happy to have another ‘brother.’ But now…

  
This was just another robot he was going to have to kill, wasn’t it?

  
That was what he had to expect now.

  
That thought hurt so much, but it was probably true, so he didn’t try to push it away. Something would happen – something always happened, and the everlasting peace he was supposed to fight for never lasted at all. 

  
Rock assessed the strengths and weaknesses of this new robot master, this new threat, with bleary eyes and a heavy heart.

  
Knowing that one day…

  
….he would have to kill him.

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back, back again  
> Cam is back  
> idfk
> 
> I made something, I'll get better at this soon lol  
> inspired by the thought of how gruesome a scrapyard would seem to Robot Masters


End file.
